On the lithic assemblages with wide-stemmed projectile points in Hokkaido, Japan

DOI HANDLE Web Site Open Access

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • 北海道における幅広有茎尖頭器石器群の位置づけ
  • ホッカイドウ ニ オケル ハバビロユウケイ セントウキ セッキグン ノ イチズケ

Search this article

Abstract

An identification of the lithic assemblages associated with bifacial projectile points and stemmed projectile points in Hokkaido attributed to the Late Glacial period or earlier is an important issue in understanding the evolution of bifacial point traditions in the Japanese archipelago at the terminal Pleistocene (19-11.5 ka). In Hokkaido, there is limited confirmation of the lithic assemblages with bifacial projectile points that have been reliably dated to pre-Late Glacial　period. This paper focuses on the lithic assemblages with wide-stemmed projectile points from the Pirika-D, Shirataki-18, and Kamishirataki-8 sites in Hokkaido. In these lithic assemblages, various types of stemmed projectile points including bifacial and partially retouched stemmed points made from blades or flakes have been recognised. The analysis of refitted artefacts from the Shirataki-18 and Kyushirataki-8 sites shows that bifacial stemmed point production was made via discoidal preforms. AMS dating indicates the lithostratigraphic unit IVa at the Pirika-D site, yielding the wide-stemmed projectile points, dates from 18.6 to 17.8 cal ka. Therefore, it is highly likely that these lithic assemblages can be placed before the Late Glacial period. This paper discusses a spatial-temporal evaluation of the wide-stemmed projectile point tradition in Hokkaido and its implication for the study of the population dynamics of late Pleistocene humans from Northeast Asia to North America.

Journal

Related Projects

See more

Keywords

Details 詳細情報について

Report a problem

Back to top